Press Release
June 4, 2018

GORDON TO DOH: USE CURRENT RESOURCES AND OPERATIONS PENDING APPROVAL OF P1.2-B FUND

With Congress going on sine die adjournment without passing the measure proposing to allocate a special fund for assisting the more than 830,000 recipients of the Dengvaxia vaccine, Senator Richard J. Gordon has advised the Department of Health (DOH) to use its current resources and operations pending the approval of the P1.2-billion fund.

Though admitting to being a bit disappointed that the bill, which President Rodrigo Duterte certified as urgent, was not passed before the Senate adjourned, Gordon pointed out that the DOH can take steps to ensure that the recipients would receive assistance without delay.

"Dapat ang DOH at ang PhilHealth, magtulungan para magamit na ang tulong sa mga naturukan ng Dengvaxia. Hindi nangangahulugan na ibibinbin na naman natin ang pagtulong sa tao. Meron namang emergency fund ang DOH na pwedeng gamitin pansamantala. Hindi naman ganoon kalaki ang magagamit dahil hindi naman kailangang lahat ng naineksyunan e eeksaminin agad," he said. The senator also suggested that in the meantime, while the fund could not be withdrawn from the National Treasury pending the passage of the measure, the DOH can already make a masterlist of all the recipients of the vaccine and upload it on a computer that could be accessed by hospitals, both public and private.

"Ang kailangan nila kunin nila ang mga pangalan, eskwela at address ng mga tinurukan dahil ang unang pakay diyan ay malaman sinu-sino ang mga naturukan at mabigay sa mga ospital, public and private, para pag ang bata ay dinala doon at sinabing siya ay naturukan ng Dengvaxia, automatic yung ang tetestingin kaagad kung siya ay may tunay na dengue. At kung yan ay tunay na dengue, bibigyan kaagad ng emergency treatment. Dapat ilagay ang listahan sa isang computer na pwedeng i-acces ng mga ospital para mabigyan ng prayoridad para matesting yung mga nakalista," he said.

Gordon, chairman of the Blue Ribbon committee which led the investigation into the anomalous procurement of the Dengvaxia, reminded hospitals that they should boost their dengue response mechanisms to ensure the health of dengue patients.

"Dapat OA kayo ng konti sa mga ospital na talagang tsetsekin niyo pag naturukan para mabigyan agad nung mga kailangang fluids, platelets o kailangang salinan ng dugo para siguradong mailigtas yung bata. Pag binigay sa ospital ang listahan pag may pumunta dun na bata, makikita kaagad kung nasa listahan. Kung nasa listahan, yun ang bibigyan ng prayoridad sa pondo. Pero kahit wala sa listahan, bibigyan pa din ng prayoridad kung dengue kasi di makikita agad kung dengue," he said.

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